How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Katherine Lin's website.
My agent and I went through tons of iterations of titles, and polled lots of friends and colleagues. In one brainstorming email, I threw out You Can't Stay Here Forever as a possibility–it was a line that one character in my book, Fauna, says to Ellie, the protagonist, near the climax of the novel. I thought it captured Ellie's journey: the yearn to run away in tension with the fact that everyone has to face their demons eventually. My agent took to You Can't Stay Here Forever and, happily, Harper Books liked it as well. The line was eventually cut from the book, but I am glad it got us the title.
What's in a name?
I am...[read on]
The Page 69 Test: You Can't Stay Here Forever.
Q&A with Katherine Lin.
--Marshal Zeringue
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